Open Mike #12: The Hidden Cost of Bad Bosses: How Workplace Culture Fuels Mental Health Crises

A person spends about a third of their life at work. This is especially bad news if you work in a place where the boss hurls explicit obscenities at employees for making minor mistakes, which is not as uncommon as you might think. For far too long, many organizations have swept the toxicity of their culture and its impact on employee wellbeing under the rug. In an effort to maintain control, or rather frighten their staff into submission, some leaders regularly communicate that there are layoffs coming soon.

Other cultures have become so sales-driven that every day feels like an exhausting competition employees must win at any cost. Whether we like it or not, these factors often cause or worsen employees’ anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges — including substance use disorders. This type of toxicity doesn’t remain in the workplace either. It starts to affect every other part of a person’s life, leaving them unable to maintain healthy relationships or be their optimal selves. Let’s dive in and take a deeper look.

Role Conflict

Wellbeing research seeks to understand the organizational influences affecting a person’s everyday life. As a wellbeing practitioner, one of the biggest, most common issues I encounter is role conflict. Most people wear many different hats in their lives: a father, mother, board leader, church minister, community organizer, sports coach, PTA member, husband, wife, life partner, volunteer leader, etc. Organizations often forget that they play the largest role in their staff’s lives since they spend such a large portion of it at work.

Consider the unfulfilled CFO. He’s immersed in a toxic work culture by day, but he’s also a father who comes home from work angry and constantly snaps at his children. To relax and disengage, he drinks a 6-pack of beer every night. Or think of the 30-year career woman who loves to volunteer outside of work. After finally getting her dream job, she quickly discovers she has the boss from hell. Eventually, her job begins sucking the life out of her and she becomes so depressed, she no longer has the energy or desire to volunteer.

Finally, contemplate the single mom who feels like she can’t call into work to take care of her sick kid without getting reprimanded by her boss or snubbed by her co-workers for “slacking off.” Not only does her fear of this perception negatively impact her emotionally; it also affects her ability to take care of her sick child. As you can see, role conflict can take a serious toll on employee wellbeing, but on the flipside lies something more positive: the spillover effect.

The Spillover Effect

The spillover effect occurs when “attitudes in one role positively spill over into another role,” which directly relates to work/life integration. This phenomenon showcases just how important it is for employees to consistently experience positivity in their workplaces. A healthy work environment can profoundly contribute to an individual’s overall wellbeing. People who are emotionally healthy perform better at work. This leads to greater job satisfaction, which spills over and increases their life satisfaction, too.

Imagine if the aforementioned CFO felt fulfilled from his duties and experienced a more positive workplace culture. His attitude would probably improve, so he might naturally become more patient with his kids and find healthier outlets for self-care. What if the career woman had a boss that utilized her strengths and gave her more autonomy in her new position?

Well, it would most likely increase her emotional health and energy level, which would enrich her volunteer efforts — and then spill over and improve her community. Imagine what could happen if the single mom had a supportive team and organization that emphasized flexibility and family. She’d take care of her sick kid without feeling any guilt, and then she’d become more loyal to her organization.

Positive Organizational Development

So, what can organizations do to create a more positive workplace experience? Well, every industry and organization is different, so I won’t espouse any one-size-fits-all mantras or best practices. However, our most up-to-date research comes from the University of Michigan Center for Positive Organizations, who are deeply entrenched in the tools and techniques of positive psychology and employ some of the best researchers, professors, and measurements on organizational development that exist.

To experience the spillover effect more often in your own organization, you need to first experiment with tools and identify which are most effective. Then, develop high-quality wellbeing programs based on your findings. Employees want to work for positive companies that will contribute to their overall wellbeing and also consider their life outside of work. While the spillover effect concept may be new to you and your organization, it’s existed since the beginning of time and it will continue to shape the future of the workplace.

WORD ON THE STREETS

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Tech companies are known for pushing boundaries, breaking barriers, and driving innovation at lightning speed. But that same high-pressure, performance-driven culture is burning people out. Companies like TikTok thrive on relentless progress, but at what cost? Burnout, chronic stress, high turnover, and even physical health issues are becoming the norm. Productivity might look strong on the surface, but underneath, employees are struggling.

The industry is at a turning point. If tech companies don’t take employee well-being seriously, they’ll keep losing talent, creativity, and ultimately, their competitive edge. It’s time for leaders to take a hard look at their culture, systems, and the way they treat their people.

Here’s the real problem: tech companies love to talk about mental health, but too often, it’s all fluff. Free meditation apps, one-off wellness workshops, and posters about "work-life balance" don’t fix a toxic work environment. If companies actually care about mental health, they need to do more than check a box.

So, what needs to change?

1. Stop the Empty Promises – Employee well-being isn’t just a talking point. Companies need to back it up with real policies, fair workloads, and leadership that supports balance.
2. Make Mental Health Part of Everyday Work Life – Support can’t just mean offering therapy benefits. It should be baked into the way people work whether it’s realistic deadlines, flexible schedules, or creating a culture where people aren’t afraid to say, “I need a break.”
3. Leaders Need to Set the Example – If managers and executives don’t model healthy work habits, employees won’t feel like they can either. Leaders need to openly talk about mental health, respect boundaries, and show that it’s okay to prioritize well-being.

The bottom line? Tech can’t afford to ignore this anymore. A healthy workforce is an innovative one. If companies truly want to build the future, they need to take care of the people making it happen.

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